The Training Grant in Academic Nutrition brings together the intellectual and physical resources of the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School, fostering close interactions between trainees and faculty, including 31 preceptors and 8 resource faculty. The Principal Investigator, Dr Walter Willett, and Co-Principal Investigator, Dr W Allan Walker, have established strong and vigorous pre- and postdoctoral programs that we are now seeking to expand with one additional predoctoral slot. The Training Program has successfully recruited an outstanding cadre of applicants including many MDs who demonstrate intellectual promise and dedicated commitment to nutritional science research. Our program provides training in four key areas: Nutritional Biochemistry, Human/Clinical Nutrition, Nutritional Epidemiology, and Public Health Nutrition. Our overall goal is to incorporate concepts, approaches, and scientific tools from both basic and applied science so that trainees are able to transcend conventional specialty boundaries. This Training Program is designed both for individuals who have recently completed their undergraduate degree and are entering a formal doctoral program, and for physicians and graduates of other doctoral programs who will enter an intensive research training program with options to obtain formal degrees. The degrees offered are the PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry, and the DSc in Nutritional Epidemiology or Public Health Nutrition. For MD fellows, we offer a unique Masters Program in clinical investigation. Regardless of track, all degree candidates must successfully complete didactic coursework involving both basic biochemical and molecular concepts and advanced training in quantitative sciences, including epidemiology and biostatistics. All trainees participate in demanding "hands-on" preceptor-guided nutritional science research guided by scientists who are at the "cutting edge" of their fields. Graduates of this program have established a strong record of publication and success in obtaining grants. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: We propose to continue a training program that will prepare outstanding individuals for a research career in nutritional sciences. This program brings together the intellectual and physical resources of Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School to provide multidisciplinary classroom and research experiences that transcend traditional specialty boundaries. Training positions are requested for individuals pursuing doctoral degrees in nutrition and for persons, especially MD's, who have recently graduated and are seeking postdoctoral training.